Sword swarm / Dungeon of a Thousand Corpses

"The hell is this?"

"It's the frozen dungeon Mreow~"

"Are you quite sure?" I look down at the set of white stone stairs leading down into darkness.

That's literally it.

Just a long staircase in the middle of some very tiny set of ruins.

"Mew~ What else could it be, Nya~?"

"A crack den."

"Huh?"

"Meow?"

"Explain."

"A place people use to cook."

"Mreoww~... Now that you mention it, I could go for about five fishies right Nyow~"

"Not that kind of cooking."

"You just had like four on the way here!"

"Mrow~ Shut up, you."

We spent pretty much all of the remaining daylight making our way here, and it is dark as hell.

From snow forests to frozen lakes, to almost getting eaten by a snow serpent, to getting jumped by about four trolls.

We also ran into an Ice wyvern.

It was like a wyvern, but with snow breath.

An ice wyvern.

"And you're sure the stone is down there, Lucifer?"

"Ask Felthoven, not me.."

"But I did, and he said it was here."

"Well, then what are you waiting for? Let's continue our little adventure now~"

"Mroow? You guys met Felthoven? How's he been holding up, hmm?" Dysma peeks her face down from atop my head.

"Oh, he is just a sweetheart."

"Mew~ I can't help but get a bad feeling when you're the one saying it like that, Lucy.."

"He was just the sweetest of sweets. He was just a treat, really."

"W-wait you guys met Felthoven?!"

"Weren't you there? Did you not see him when you woke up? He was just sitting there in his little chair."

"Astal was too consumed in her little cute jealousy to notice~"

"Zip. It."

"Alright - alright enough chit chat. Let's get this dungeon over with so I can go back to the mountain of papers that need stamping within the very confines of the student council room back in the Kingdom of Luthran about three days off from here."

"I think he's broken."

"He's not doing too well~"

"Mreow!?" Dysma jumps onto my left hand and takes the shape of a black ring around my middle finger as a voice calls out from behind me.

"Didn't I tell ye'? An adventurer just like us, aye?" Some guy with a Scottish accent says.

I turn around and see a group of three men coming my way.

"We thought ya were some big monster. How'd ya end up ere' sun?" The man in the middle with a gray wizard beard and wizard hat asks me, staff in hand, torch in the other.

"I told ya the little bugger is lost, dun't be sucha wheelbarrel." The slightly short man on the left says, wearing a viking helmet and holding two axes, a bow holstered on his back.

"Ya'kno what I think? I think botha'yus need'ta shut yer fukin mouths, fock's sake's. The entire walk ere' from the Kingdom has been nuttin' but botha'yus running yer fuckin mouths like yer in the fuckin' run away from the ice wyvern olympics. Gimme a break, aye?" The man on the right says, wearing red knight armor and holding a large stone shield.

"Actually I'm here to-"

"Ah stick a fockin sock innit. We know why yer ere'. Just come along and try not'a die aye?" The man with the shield's voice fades as he descends the staircase down into the darkness.

"Donny remains quite the cheeky lit'l basterd, dun't mind im' sun, he is always eager to explore dungens." The man with the wizard hat descends the stairs.

"Haa.. bunch'a jinglebells.." The man with the viking helmet follows them down.

"My word..."

"I have never met a group of people so... decorative in their speech.."

"Nya~ha~ha~ha~!"

"You know, sometimes I relate to the one with the shield." 

"Oh.. you don't mean that.."

"Are ye comin' ya lit'l twit moffin'?" One of their voices echoes out from within the bottom of the stairs.

I take one last look at the giant typhoon off in the background before descending the stairs.

.

.

.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

*FWSSHH*

*PSHANG* *PSHANG*

*FWSHHHH*

*SHING* *SHING*

The loud sounds of magic purple arrows being cast, azulyte bullets being fired, crystal sorceries being cast, and a sword making contact onto flesh echoes across the now swarmed church, blood and infested tissue dripping onto the wooden floorboards below.

"My mana is almost depleted..." Lillia backs into a wall, kneeling and resting her head on her palm.

"I can still..Hah..hold out.." Rin shakes out, firing volley after volley of magic arrows.

*PSHANG*

"Drats! That was my last bullet.." Kanon digs into her pockets, searching desperately for something, anything to fire onto the fleshy abominations clawing at the boards.

*CRRCKK*

The barrier separating the room from the hallway full to the absolute brim with the infestation shows more and more cracks progressively, hundreds of bloodied hands reach through the small holes punctured onto the thin barrier.

"T-the barrier... It won't last..." Tohdsen kneels, panting and attempting to catch his breath as his mana begins to deplete from the long uptime of the barrier. 

"Maxwell. Get your bottom off that bench and muster some mettle." Rin shakily glares at Maxwell, who is sitting on a wooden bench catching his breath.

"HAH..HAH..HAH.. this..." He reaches for his water canteen in his trench coat pocket, then taking a sip. "GLUG.. this is torture..BURP"

"I don't care what you think is exhausting. Get up. Now." Rin demands coldly, kneeling on the floorboards, mentally exhausted.

*CRCKK*

The final pieces of the barrier break, threatening to crash down and allow a horde of vicious mutants to squeeze into the room and tear everyone and everything to bloody shreds.

"F-forgive me.." Tohdsen stumbles on the floor, the barrier now slowly fading.

Everyone looks at Tohdsen on the floor, then onto the windows getting their final boards ripped open, then onto the barrier seconds from disappearing.

"Very well..." Maxwell rises from his seat, taking a final sip of his water and reaching for his blindfold.

"Maxwell..." Rin udders out weakly, dropping her rapier. "I don't even have the energy to call you an idiot.. just... don't let them turn me into one of them... and if I do..." She looks up at him. "Bring Alek and have him kill me, I don't want you anywhere near me when I lose my brain to a disgusting pest.." 

"Y-yup..."

"S-s-same here..."

Kanon and Lillia agree with Rin, slumping against the floorboards.

"Then I shall do as a Swordsworn does... and vanquish." He attempts to wrap the blindfold on his face, then tripping over a loose wooden board. "Huh! N-no!" He drops his glasses, as well as the blindfold onto the floorboards.

"Haah.." Rin palms her face.

*RRGGGRRRG*

A spore infested monster breaks through the window boards and lunges at Maxwell.

*SHHKL*

It gets split in half in an instant, dropping onto the floor.

"D-did I get it..?" Maxwell asks with uncertainty, blade in hand, oblivious to what just occurred.

"W-what in..."

"No way.."

"You've gotta be kidding.."

The three look at him, disbelief from watching Maxwell make quick work of a parasitic abomination in the blink of an eye.

"T-tell me! I can't see sh-" *SHCKL*

Another monster meets their bloody end, its many body parts falling onto the floorboards.

"A-alright, that time, I know I got it for sure. Correct?" He asks, an unsure but prideful smirk on his lips.

"Maxwell. We're over here." Rin calls out to Maxwell who is looking at a wall.

*CRACK!*

The barrier falls, letting in a horde of spore monsters rapidly squeezing into the room.

"O-oh no..!!" Kanon screams in terror.

*SHING* *SHING* *SHING*

*SHCKL* SHCKKL* SCHKKL*

Monster after monster, body part after body part, falling onto the floorboards in a bloody impact as Maxwell effortlessly and swiftly disposes group after group.

"I-I don't know what's happening or what I'm even hitting, b-but feel the wrath of a warrior's tenacious spirit, fiends..!!" Maxwell rapidly swings his blade masterfully, over his shoulder, and around every observable direction, moving across the room with quick speed, slicing every and any monsters that lunges.

*TRCKCK*

The three on the floor look up at the ceiling boards falling, letting in lanky crawler-like parasitic monsters climbing down along the walls from the holes.

"Maxwell. More, above you." Rin calls out.

"W-where??" He looks towards a wall again.

"Haah.. everywhere, idiot!" She yells.

"Every-? Very well. Then it's time for that.." He stands still, another group of monsters inching closer from the hallway.

"R-rin.. what does he mean by that.." Kanon asks nervously.

"It's probably something extremely foolish. Don't question it, you'll only end up calling him stupid." She replies coldly.

"I have never been able to pull it off before... but now I think it's time..." He sheathes his Katana.

"W-what..? You're kidding.. right?" Lillia looks up at him. "You're betting it all on a gamble now?? Why did you put away your weapon?! Maxwell are you stupid?!" 

"See?" Rin sighs.

"Haah.. FOoo.." Maxwell inhales and exhales slowly.

The group of crawlers drop from the ceiling, the horde of monsters seconds away from swarming the group.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!" Kanon screams out.

*Shhhhing...*

Maxwell slowly unsheathes his katana, then whispering. "Sword swarm..." 

*CLNGCLNGCLNGCLNGCLNGCLNG*

Thousands of thin faint lines appear in the room.

*clng*

He sheathes. 

*CLSHCLSHCLSHCLSHCCLNGSCLHGCLNGSCLNG*

*PWOOSH*

The walls get sliced into pieces, the horde of monsters explode into uncountable microscopic pieces, and the room collapses.

*FwOoOoOoOoo...*

The area is blanketed in a thick dust fog.

"I-im.. dead..I'm dead.. I'm dead I'm dead this is what being dead feels like.. right?" Kanon slowly opens her eyes.

"If only." Lillia says, looking up at the purple barrier Rin casted onto the group

"I told each and every one of you. Reinforcement magic is not my forte. How dare you make me do this?" Rin says, her rapier raised, casting a small thin shield around the three. "You alive, Maxwell? Please say no." 

"Here." His voice faintly calls out. His hand poking out from a pile of rubble, giving a thumbs up.

The three then stand up, scanning the area.

There is no Facility-703.

There is no church.

Only newly formed Ruins.

The moonlight and Grand Cathedral shine down onto them.

"Haah.." Rin sighs, then stands up and approaches Maxwell.

"Hnng!" Kanon stands up on wobbly legs, then joining Rin and Lillia who are looking at Maxwell buried in rubble.

"You always find a way to get yourself buried in filth, Maxwell. Have you noticed as well?" Rin says, her arms crossed.

"How many times..." Lillia asks, slowly lifting the board piles with telekinesis.

"Too many." Rin replies, glaring at Maxwell.

"HAH..!" Maxwell sighs in relief, taking in fresh air into his lungs stuffed with dust. "Did we win?" He asks casually, looking at the ruins made by his hand.

"Miraculously." Rins replies coldly, then handing him his glasses. "Good work." She says, then turning away to look around the area for potential stragglers.

"Hehe~!" Kanon gives him a thumbs up.

"Didn't think you had it in you Maxwell, truly..." Lillia says, a surprised tone in her voice.

"Such is the path..." He puts his glasses on. "Of a Swordsworn..."

"Wait... where's Tohdsen?" Kanon asks, spinning around and looking for his potential dead corpse.

"Hrrrm! Hrrrmmm!" A faint mumble echoes across the Ruins.

"Oh, right." Maxwell stands up, revealing Tohdsen slumped against the ground beneath him.

"Err.. like a pancake..." Kanon looks down at him.

"You alright there?" Lillia helps him stand, then finding his glasses and handing them to him.

"What.." Tohdsen cleans his cracked glasses from the dust, then putting them back on. "How did we..." He looks around the ruins.

"Believe it or not..." Lillia says, gesturing towards Maxwell.

"It was actually..." Kanon also shoots him her glance.

The three of them look at him, waiting for his explanation.

"Uh..." Maxwell looks back at them. "Would.. you guys want some?" He offers them his water canteen he was going to drink from.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you all still conversing?" Rin comes back from her scouting and crosses her arms. "Tohdsen, where is this cellar of yours?"

"Hmm..." Tohdsen looks around at was once the church Facility-703 now in ruins, snowflakes slowly falling from the foggy night sky and painting the fallen bricks and wooden boards in white. "We will just have to look for a set of stairs around all this rubble." 

 "Haah?" Kanon groans. "But how are we supposed to find it in all this ru-"

*PWOOM*

A giant six-legged creature covered in spores erupts from a pile of rubble and slams onto the ground.

*GRROOAARG*

"W-what? Specimen-1?" Tohdsen looks up at the creature's eight rows of eyes on its face. "W-when did you grow..?" 

"AHHH..!! MONSTER!!" Kanon screams. *CLICK* *CLICK* Her rifle's chamber clicks as she rapidly pulls the trigger, hinting at its empty barrel.

"Kanon, it's empty. Quit it." Lillia glares at her.

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

*YANK* Lillia takes her magicraft rifle from her hands. 

"B-but I need that..." Kanon looks at her with puppy dog eyes.

*GRROOOAAARRRG*

It releases a stream of spores across the area, slowly replacing the white blanket of snow beneath their feet in orange.

"Take cover!" Tohdsen jumps behind a short ruin wall, signaling everyone else to do the same.

Everyone follows, leaping behind the wall and falling on top one another in a pile.

"Get. Off me." Rin kicks Maxwell off her legs cruelly, sending him rolling backwards and hitting a bricked wall.

*THUNK*

"OOWw !" He rubs the back of his head." Was such cruelty necessary??" He yells, straightening up and peeking over the wall and onto the field of spores slowly disappearing.

"We made it just in time.." Tohdsen adjusts his glasses. "The effects of the vaccine should still be in effect. However, Specimen-1's spores contain unique aspects unlike common infested, if we had remained, it would have burned against our skin..

"W-what the heck Tohdsen?! Just what is this thing anyway??" Kanon takes a quick peak over the wall, watching its many thin tendrils across its back slither, then rapidly getting thrusted her direction. "GASP!"

*WAM* *WAM*

She returns to cover as the tendrils make contact and slam onto the bricked wall.

"It is the result of an early experiment... When Facility-703 was established, we immediately began working on an antidote to resolve the Infestation crisis. The components used varied, from pixie particles, to unicorn horn dust and electro mushrooms from the storm peaks to the west. Spore matter was included as well in order to determine how various ingredients affected Spore genes. We then brought in a number of common forest organisms in order to experiment with the prototype and observe how it affected the anatomy." He looks through a hole in the wall and onto the creature, watching as it grows more tendrils along its back. "The first creature to get tested on was a small rabbit that was on stage 1 of infection, and once the experimental antidote was injected into its bloodstream, it immediately showed signs of rejection and, as a result... it began to grow extra legs and eyes, then it began showing immediate signs of aggression."

"But how did a small rabbit turn into something so giant?" Lillia asks, clutching her grimoire.

"It would seem infested are able to grow in size the more they consume... " Tohdsen thinks to himself.

"Enough talk. We need to dispose of this pest" Rin stands up, walking towards Maxwell who is still looking at it from behind the wall. "Maxwell. You're up." She begins to push him over the wall. 

"W-.. Oi! Oi! Oi!" Maxwell grabs onto the wall. "Are you mad, woman?! Look at that thing! It will eat my nutritious warrior body faster than I can swing! You dare force me into a battle I can't win?!"

"Oh seize your crying" She pushes harder. "Just repeat what your thickheaded skull pulled off before. Surely repetition is something you're capable of. Is that not correct, warrior idiot? And besides, I am out of mana."

"Me too!" Lillia says out loud.

"I see.." He looks over to the group, Kanon and Lillia shooting him a thumbs up. "Then," He reaches for his blindfold, then tossing his glasses to Kanon who catches it with a confused look on her face. "Allow me." He ties the blindfold, obscuring his vision. "It will take but a moment." He slowly walks forward. 

*THUNK*

He walks into the bricked wall.

"Hmph." Rin gives him a shove, returning him to the correct path.

"The Spores should have fully cleared, Maxwell. Do be careful, Specimen-1 is quite the aggressive one..." Tohdsen peeks over the wall.

Maxwell stands face to face with the six-legged creature looking down at him, it's large jaw drooling glowing orange liquid, before it opens its jaw in a loud gurgled growl.

*GRROOOAAARRRGLRLRLR*

"HAVE AT ME, BEAST! RAAHH!!" Maxwell charges forward, determination in his warrior spirit.

*splat*

"Hiii."

The group peeks up from the wall after the loud sound of something getting smushed, and onto Yukki sitting atop her large frost dragon, orange liquid seeping through its huge feet.

"Ohmaigosh!! It's Yukki!!" Kanon vaults over the wall and runs over. 

"You really did us a solid there.." Lillia says, joining Kanon and looking up at Yukki sitting on her summon.

"I would have preferred to continue looking onto the hideous pest rather than your large blue hideous pest." Rin says coldly, joining the other two.

*ROOOOOAAAAAAAARHG*  Yukki's frost dragon lets out a loud roar, sending a wave of chilly hair onto the group.

"Silence!" Rin yells back at it.

"Wait...uh..what are you guys talking about?" Yukki looks down onto the pool of glowing orange liquid seeping out of her summons's feet. "Is that.. is that orange juice?" 

"Actually, yeah, it is." Maxwell stands up after getting knocked down from the impact of the sudden landing. "I believe it to be spore juice of some kind.." He removes his loose blindfold before catching his glasses back from Kanon.

"Eww! What? No I meant orange! Y'know? The fruit? I can see the pool is orang- Forget it..." She dismisses before jumping off her mount and de-manifesting it, then looking onto the splattered monstrosity on the bricks.

"Wait I thought oranges were vegetables?" Kanon says, looking onto the flat corpse slowly withering away.

"Actually, it is indeed a fruit." Tohdsen says as he joins the group, cleaning his glasses. "It belongs to a group of plants called 'Citrus Fruit' known for their high nutritional value."

"And where were you? We almost got killed thanks to your absence I'll have you know." Rin says, glaring at Yukki next to her. "If you would have just remained where you were we wouldn't have had to struggle to the pests. You had better have a good excuse for your dismissive behavior of leaving like you couldn't be bothered to lend your help. Shrimp." She continues digging her glare into her, waiting for a valid explanation.

"I had to settle business with an old acquaintance..." Yukki replies, her arms crossed above her head, looking away with a nervous smirk.

"And just what kind of 'Business' was this that made you believe it was far more important than assisting?" Rin crosses her arms, tapping her finger against her arm.

"Family feud~" Yukki looks at her, smirking.

"What?" Rin says in irritation after hearing a reasoning so utterly foolish. In fact, she is looking for a reason not to slap her across her face after spewing nonsense greater than Maxwell's stupidity.

"Uh..." Maxwell looks at Rin, almost as if he heard the previous narration.

"A-anyways! Look Tohdsen! The rubble the giant ugly creature jumped out from revealed the stairs! Lets all go inside now ok??" Kanon yells in nervous excitement, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Ah, good observation. Let us proceed with the initial plan." Tohdsen approaches the stairs.

"Hmph. You will give a proper explanation once we are finished with this task." Rin uncrosses her arms.

"Mayybe..." Yukki looks away.

The group approaches the stairs, but Yukki is stopped by Tohdsen, her shoulder grabbed.

"I'm afraid you need to wait out here. Since you have not taken the vaccine, you risk getting infected." He lets go of her shoulder and continues down the stairs, Kanon and Lillia giving her a last glance before descending after him.

"Whaaaat?" Yukki stands still in complete surprised shock.

"Now, be a good little guard dog and stay out here, dog." Rin gives her a last condescending smirk, then descends.

"Hmp!! It isn't my fault my sister threatened to destroy all of Azula if I didn't stop her, you know!" She whispers to herself, then sits down on a pile of bricks, legs crossed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"COUGH COUGH... The air here is rancid!" Kanon complains, covering her nose shut with her fingers.

"Bear with it, we will leave immediately upon retrieving the plant. Until then, try not to breathe too much of it, as you may contract long term lung problems." Tohdsen says, leading the group down the orange fogged, dark, ruined bloodied halls, broken swords and crossbows strewn about the floor.

"So these are... mature Spore plants?" Lillia looks at the various cluster of circular plants growing on the bricked walls, the roots slowly shifting and slithering as it they were alive.

"Disgusting." Rin revolts, clutching her scarf around her nose.

"Perhaps it is best I wait outside with Yukki." Maxwell attempts to turn around and head back out, disturbed by the smell.

"I think not." Rin grabs him and pushes him to the front of the group past Tohdsen. "Now be a good meat shield and walk."

"...Blast these dreadful halls..." Maxwell complains. "I do not see why I ha-" *THUMP*

He stammers on his feet, then looks down onto a mutilated corpse.

"It seems the rest of my associates didn't make it..." Tohdsen covers his mouth, looking ahead at the groups of corpses splattered on the ground.

"What of it? Let's just find this plant of yours and leave. I refuse to remain down here for a single minute more." Rin walks ahead, walking over the corpses in a hurry, before stopping.

Her ankle is grabbed by a bloodied hand from one of the corpses.

"What? Let go, filth!" She begins to kick at its head, caving in its skull.

The hand begins to dig its nails into her skin, causing her to lose balance and lean against the clusters of plants on the wall. 

"Hng!" She backs against the wall, which then causes the cluster of spore plants to emit a low shriek and release small worms from their holes.

"Not good..." Tohdsen looks over the hallway, the worms entering the corpses and re-animating them.

"W-what do we do??" Kanon begins to clutch at her empty rifle.

"There's no turning back. We need to fight our way through and retrieve the plant, it remains our top priority." Tohdsen grips his grimoire nervously.

"And our survival isn't our priority!?" Lillia yells as she helps Rin and returns her to the safety of the group. "Did you forget we're still out of Mana?!" 

"I am aware, however we still have Maxwell here, we have a chance." He looks over to Maxwell sipping on his water canteen. "I think..."

"Oh please." Rin says, rubbing the blue liquid from the vial she was given from Tohdsen through the tattered hole in her tights and onto the scratches on her skin. "Don't expect too much." She looks over to him. "But, surely you don't screw up a second time, is that right Maxwell?"

"Wat?" He puts his water canteen away. "Hmm.." He looks at the hall and onto the group of monsters slowly inching closer. "Hmm..." 

"W-what are you doing just standing there Maxwell??" Kanon yells from behind. "Get em!!"

"Oi! A warrior gets tired too you know??" He steps forward.

"We're tired ourselves as well Maxwell." Lillia says, glancing at him. "Not just physically. MENTALLY TOO!" She shouts.

"Which is why I will move without moving." He reaches into his trench coat pockets.

"What?" Rin glares at him. "That is stupid. Have the spores ceased your brain?" She crosses her arms.

"I don't believe so." He pulls out a small bone whistle. "But if it's a plant you want, then I shall find it...I think.." 

"The plant should be at the end of the hall to the left, Maxwell." Tohdsen casts a barrier, separating Maxwell from the group. "It should be encased in a blue capsule."

"Very well." *VrOoOoOo* He blows on the bone whistle.

A dark horse manifests from under his feet, then lifting him atop. 

"FORWARD, ZERKERY!" He shouts.

*Neiigh*

The horse then dashes forward, leaving a shadowy black trail and trampling over the infested, its hooves clacking against the bricked ground and blood pools.

"Huh.. so that's where his black horse was.." Kanon watches as he charges ahead on his black mount. "But where's the white one?" 

"Probably eating someone's face off..." Lillia sighs.

"The door to the left, Maxwell!" Tohdsen shouts, watching him swing his katana over the live corpses to his sides.

Maxwell looks over his shoulder. "VERY WE-" *SLAM!*

He collides with the end of the hallway, his horse vanishing.

"Haah.." Rin palms her face.

"You know, Rin. I'm starting to see a pattern here.." Lillia says, her finger on her chin.

"There's a pattern?" Kanon looks at her in confused curiosity.

"Not a single coherent thought in his head." Rin replies coldly.

"Maxwell! Are you alright?" Tohdsen calls out. 

"Y-yeah.." He stands up, rubbing his head and slipping his glasses and fedora back on. "Such setbacks are nothing for a Swordsworn.." He stands up.

"Proceed to the room on your left! Quickly!" He shouts as the group of infested claw at the barrier.

"R-right!" He kicks the door in and runs inside.

"Do we really expect him to find the plant, Tohdsen?" Rin asks, eyebrows raised.

"It shouldn't be a problem for.. Ahem.. even him.. It stands out quite a bit, he can't miss it." He replies.

"Is this it?" Maxwell peeks out from the room, holding a blue object.

"No, Maxwell, that's a bar of soap." Tohdsen replies.

"What? But you said it was blue.." Maxwell inspects the unusually big bar of blue soap.

"It's a blue capsule, Maxwell! It has a plant in it, you cannot possibly miss it!" Tohdsen shouts.

"I see." He goes back into the room.

"Ahem.. I can see how it would confuse him, given their similar shapes and color." Tohdsen says, looking back at the other three behind him, their faces confused.

"Is this it?" Maxwell peeks back out.

"N-no, Maxwell.. that is a capsule of bars of soap..." 

"Truly?" He inspects the object in his hand containing more bars of unusually big soap.

"A capsule with a PLANT in it, Maxwell! Hurry!" Tohdsen says, looking at the increasing infested group clawing at the barrier.

"Hmm.." Maxwell runs back into the room.

"Why do you have such soap anyway?" Rin asks, her tone of pure curiosity.

"It's important to keep your station clean at all times." Tohdsen replies, bracing himself ready to correct Maxwell.

*BAM!*

Maxwell gets thrown out of the room and slammed into the wall on the right.

"Owww, damn it..!!" He stands up, irritation in his voice. "Prepare to receive my retaliation in full, fiend!" He raises the capsule in his hands, ready to bash the head of the infested monster walking out of the room in front of him.

"WAIT WAIT NO! MAXWELL THAT'S IT! BRING IT BACK HERE!" Tohdsen yells out.

"What?" He looks at the plant incased in the capsule. "Oh!" He pulls out his bone whistle and summons his black horse before mounting it. "Goodbye." His horse back kicks the monster and begins dashing down the hall and back to the group.

"Yes! Yes! Hurry!" Tohdsen calls out.

"Uh... I don't.." Kanon looks at Maxwell charging full speed towards them. "I don't think he's stopping.."

The group back away from the barrier.

"Maxwell! Slow down! You'll collide with the barrier!" Tohdsen warns him, slowly backing away.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP!!" Maxwell yells, rocking back and forth on top of his mount as it picks up speed. 

"Haah.. just release the barrier." Rin says in irritation.

"What? W-wait.." Lillia has an unsure look on her face.

"Everyone back up!" Tohdsen releases the barrier, the group of infested resume their pursuit of their flesh, before they look back at Maxwell charging at them full speed.

"AAAAAAHH!" He screams in panic.

The group back away against the walls, making room for Maxwell and avoiding the full speed collision. 

*PWAM!*

Maxwell runs over the group of monsters, turning them to mush as he rapidly ascends the stairs.

"How does he steer a carriage but doesn't know how to slow down on his horse..?" Kanon asks, watching the black trail his mount left slowly fade away.

"And... who thought him to ride a horse anyway..?" Lillia follows up.

"Such questions are beyond me." Rin sighs.

"Enough talk." Tohdsen lays down his bag then pulling out a large blue crystal.

"What? A condensed Azulyte rock?" Lillia watches as he begins to channel mana onto the shiny blue rock emitting blue sparks.

"It's important we dispose of such area. We can't allow any signs of infestation to remain. We must eliminate any chances of it spreading." He stands up. "Now quickly, run!"

The group take one last look at the rock on the ground shaking and growing brighter, then swiftly run up the stairs.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Oh hii!" Yukki looks at the group emerge from the staircase as she is sitting and patting a white horse. "I think I saw Maxwell like ten seconds ago.. I think.." She looks off at the trail of black snow leading towards a bush.

"Did you hear pathetic screeching?" Rin asks, approaching her.

"I think s-"

"Maxwell."

"It was Maxwell."

Kanon and Lillia confirm.

"Soo~? How'd it go?" Yukki looks at Tohdsen catching his breath.

"Hah.. I believe.. we are done her-"

*PFWOOM*

The ground below them shakes, a faint blue light shines from the staircase before caving in snow and bricks from the ruins.

"W-whoa!! The heck was that??" Yukki almost falls off her seat on top the bricks.

*NEIGGGGGH!* The white horse tenses up, then begins chewing on Yukki's twin tail.

"H-hey! Hey!! Stahp it!!" Yukki attempts to free herself.

"It seems this little trip was worth it after all." Rin quietly holds back a sadistic laugh.

"RON!" Maxwell emerges from the bush, covered in snow. 

"Maxwell, the capsule." Tohdsen calls out.

"Oh right, I have achieved the retrieval." He pulls out the capsule from his coat, then hands it to him before approaching the white horse. "Damn it, Ron!" 

"Excellent.." Tohdsen inspects the capsule, looking at the plant with its seven thin leaves, its state remaining intact. "You all have my deepest thank you." He bows. "It's because of all of you that the infestation can be controlled in due time."

"How long will it take for a cure?" Lillia asks.

"Hmm..." He pauses. "It's hard to say. More research is needed. I have only discovered the properties of the plant can neutralize spore genes, but I have yet to find a way to reverse its effects on the human body. Until then, I'm afraid the infestation will continue roaming..."

"Well that's a huge letdown!" Yukki stands up from her seat. "So can we head back now? I'm like sooo tired.." 

"Yeah.. my legs are killing me.." Kanon stretches her arms above her head.

"And I'm hungry for some honey buns.." Lillia looks over to Kanon, who looks back at her with a pestered look.

"Then let us return, we've much to tell the Supreme Sorceress." Tohdren walks towards Maxwell positioning the horses at the carriage.

"And where the heck is Alek?!" Yukki says out loud, boarding the carriage and looking at the empty spot in front of the carriage with a needy tone.

"Probably getting lost in a maze." Rin replies, looking at the empty spot, yearn in her eyes, before Tohdren sits on it.

"Our comrade will find his way back to us, make no mistake. A warrior finds his way back no matter the hardships." Maxwell boards the carriage, grabbing onto the lead.

"I-i'm sure he'll be fine!" Kanon says, sitting next to Lillia. "He's strong, I can tell.. haha.."

"Oh, really?" Lillia looks over to her. "Then why don't you try talking to him more next time we meet?" She asks, noticing Kanon's slight interest on her face.

"H-huh! No way!" She replies, the light of the moon shining on her face and revealing a shade of pink on cheeks. "You talk to him! Since you kept looking at him like he was some kind of new spell! How about that, hah?!" 

"W-what are you spewing out of your mouth this time you dummy.." Lillia looks away.

"Hmph." Rin sits down across from them in the carriage. "Do not." She crosses her arms. "No good can come out of knowing a dimwit like him." 

"Oh don't say that prez, if that were true, you wouldn't have forced him into the student council!" Yukki says, noticing the faint possessive tone in her voice only she can recognize. 

"Silence!" Rin stands up then steps back down onto the snow. "I am going to go find him." 

"W-what? Are you serious? In the night?" Kanon looks at Rin wrapping her purple scarf around her neck.

"Yes I'm serious. I have a feeling he really is lost in a maze somewhere. Besides, he'll need someone to bring him back." She walks around the carriage. "As well as a lecture on how to stamp papers more efficiently..." 

"Huh!?" Yukki peeks out of the carriage. "Then you'll need a ride~ I'm coming too!!" She steps down onto the snow.

"How many times must I tell your little shrimp head?" She turns to glare at her. "No." 

"Oh relax~ I'm coming too and there's nothing you can do~" Yukki smirks at her smugly. 

Kanon and Lillia peek out of the carriage, ready to spectate and watch another argument.

"You may think so, but don't forget you still owe me an explanation for your little absence. And if you insist on pestering me further and adding to your debt of irritating me, I will make sure you never get to lay a hand on him-much less even look at him. Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth, Yukki?" 

"Rin." Yukki's smirk widens. "I am fully prepared to shoulder that risk, y'know? I can be very persistent." She places her finger on her cheek and winks. "But you already knew that, hm~?"

"A warrior's hearing can only take so much." Maxwell stands up and walks towards the white horse. "Yukki, just allow her to carry on her way. The faster she goes, the sooner we can reunite." He sets the white horse free. "Take Ron, he shall be of great assistance."

"Are you out of your mind?" Rin looks at the white horse with raised eyebrows. "Do you really think I'll allow myself anywhere near that brute?" She crosses her arms.

 "Yeah!! Which is why we should just take Stickers!" Yukki says enthusiastically.

"I refuse." Rin raises her voice, before walking towards the white horse and reluctantly mounting it. "Haah.. I want to inform you, Maxwell. If this horse of yours lays a single hand on me, I will turn it into horse stew." 

"Uh.. what?" Maxwell is caught off guard, before recovering. "A-anyway..." He walks towards the white horse and slapping its behind. "GIDDY UP RON!"

*NEEIGH*

White wings suddenly sprout from its sides.

"W-what the?!" Kanon looks at the majestic creature slowly flap its wings.

"Huuh?! W-where the heck did you get a frickin' pegasus Maxwell!?" Yukki has a genuine curious but surprised look plastered on her face.

"I didn't even know such creatures still existed.." Lillia says, studying at its wings.

"It was but one of the many gifts from my master." Maxwell gives a warrior's salute. "I am forever undeserving of her gifts. 

"C-calm down!" Rin hangs on tightly, trying not to fall off. "I o-order you to cease your behavior!" She slaps on its lead.

*NEEEEEIGH*

The white horse begins to run ahead rapidly, then flapping its wings and ascending.

"Is she gonna be alright..?" Kanon watches her slowly fly off and disappear into the clouds.

"Hmf!" Yukki pouts then boards the carriage. "Maybe!" She sits down and crosses her legs.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's quite the tenacious one..." Lillia looks over to Tohdsen. "Did you see that, Tohdsen? A real pegasus...You think the Supreme Sorceress will believe it when we tell her?" 

"Zzzzzz" He remains fast asleep.

"Forward Zerkery!" Maxwell yells out, tugging on the lead and getting the carriage moving through the foggy, snowy night, leaving behind the newly formed ruins of the church Facility-703.

.

.

.

/*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*//*/*/

"Welll lookat what we've ere' lads!" The wizard looks at a shiny chest on the floor.

"Aye Stephensen... did your lit'l cabbage brain forget all d' times you've got'n your face chomped by one of em' dungeon creatures livin' in loot?" The short guy in the viking helmet says.

"Dun' even bother, the loot goblin will never learn his lesson." Donny turns away then back out into the hall.

We've been walking through this cold blue dungeon for a while, and we've been getting molested by a bunch of harpies and goblins trying to defend their territories. 

"Fock's sakes Stephen, dun' do it ya lit'l gravy rat." The viking says, looking at him as he bends down to open the chest.

*CHOMP*

His top half is now getting chomped on by the chest digging its bone-like teeth into him.

"MMMMBMMMVMMR" His voice comes out muffled, gripping onto the chest and trying to free himself.

"Ya never listen, you." The viking grabs onto his legs and starts to pull. "Well dun' just stand there, help an old man out, mate!"

"Oh, yeah." I get behind him and start to tug on his leather vest.

*BLAGH*

The chest spits him out, then reveals its long slimy tongue, trying to reach for his foot.

"Ya keep yer glutinous sausage away from me legs ya wooden googly eyed mutant." Stephen fires a magic blue arrow at it, but it doesn't look like it had any effect. "Fock did that do nothin'? Am I shootin' ocean pebbles or wot? My spells not workin' or some'n?" 

*GRAAR*

The chest leaps in the air and slams right next to him, spreading its drool across the ground.

"Fock are ya doin' Wyatt?? Kill the blood'y thing already!" He looks at the guy in the viking hat watching him struggle.

"The fock do you think yur talkin' to like that? Ya wanna end up with my elbow to yer face dont'ya? Ya lit'l beaver." He charges at the mimic and slams his axe on its wooden surface, exposing organs.

"Take som'a this ya rotten tuna." Stehpenson shoots a bigger magic arrow at its exposed organ, shattering it in a bloody mess.

The mimic slumps on the ground dead, its long tongue still peeking out.

"Always find'n a way to inconvenience me, learn from yer mistakes alredy aye Stephen?" Wyatt holsters his axe.

"Ah shut yer hole before I stick a bowl of cacti and hummus in ya." Stephen reaches into its mouth and pulls out what looks like a ceramic dagger. 

"All that for a fockin' blade I can use to scratch me gran's back?" Wyatt complains.

"Shut yer fockin' mouth Wyatt yer gran's a dwarf." Stephen stands up. 

"Are botha'yu crotch scratch'rs not done yet? Fock's sakes get a move on I got shet t'do." Donny peeks into the room. "Fock is that Stephen? A lit'l toothpick?

"Zip yer fockin' dried potato inhaling holes, Its'a ceremonial dagger for fock's sakes I need it for a fockn' task." Stephen puts it away.

"We're reach'n the point where ya will end up with only one eye and three teeth Stephenson." Wyatt says, wiping the mimic drool from his boots.

"Do it then?! I'll put ya in'd fockin ground ya lit'l grub worm." Stephen replies, holding up his staff.

"Enough mopin' around, I found d' next area ya arseholes." Donny leads us out of the room and back out the hall with hundreds of bones scattered on the ground. "Ovar there." He points to a hall that wasn't there a second ago when we went in that room, he must've pulled some lever or something.

The bones suddenly start to move across the ground and re-form into skeletons.

"Ah looka'dat, skele'ons" Wyatt reaches for his Axe.

*PSSHHHH*

Stehpen wipes out a group with an exploding magic arrow, scattering bones across the ground. "We might have'ta run, lads." He says as he watches the bones re-arrange into a giant skeleton that picks up a huge axe on the ground.

"Ya might be right ya bagel ball." Wyatt watches another large group of skeletons form from the ground. 

*CLANG*

He blocks the giant skeleton's axe swing with his. "A bit chunky ain'cha mate?" 

*PSSHHHH* Stephen shoots another exploding magic arrow at its glowing blue eyes, stumbling it back and blinding it.

*BONK*

Wyatt's axe comes into contact with its thick bone leg, barely leaving a scratch. "Ah look'at d' state of this?? Fock's sakes." 

"For cryen out loud Wyatt, where's yer fire grease? Hit it with fire damage nut physical you twat ball." Donny yells, holding off a group of skeletons with his shield.

"I ran out on the last dungen we cleared mate, ya did'n let me buy more ya lit'l gravy monkey." Wyatt backs away and dodges the giant skeleton's huge axe swing.

"Yer way too slow Wyatt! Ya spend two hours polishing yer lit'l dwarf axe!" Donny yells as he blocks a fireball one of the hooded skeletons threw from the back of the hallway.

"Aye I'm getting tired of this, mate." Stephen charges the blue jewel on the tip of his staff, then raising it and casting a magic circle under the giant skeleton's feet. "Ye.. shall.. not.. STAND.. ya lit'l prick bagel." The magic circle activates, then it pulls the giant skeleton onto the ground.

*PFAWM*

Wyatt plunges onto the giant skeleton's upper spine, separating its head.

The blue eyes on the giant skeleton's skull go out before its entire large body breaks apart.

"Get a load'a that, lads." He dusts off his axe.

The pile of bones across the ground then start to form an entire horde of skeletons wielding rusty swords.

And the knight statues on the walls start to come alive and jump from their podiums wielding their stone swords.

*FWOOM*

Also the skeleton mage at the back of the hall is still throwing fireballs at us.

"Ere' we go lads. Look alive." Wyatt grabs onto this second axe.

"Aye, lets clear this dungen so I can finish me task. I'v been stuck on it for three days." Stephen raises his staff.

"Fock's sakes Stephen three days mate?" Donny raises his shield and blocks the fireballs and the stone swords swinging at him. 

"Ceremonial daggers are rare mate cut me some fockin' slack!" Stephen begins casting magic arrows and firing them at the knight statues, pushing them back.

"Wot? Nu they're nut!" Wyatt withdraws his bow and starts shooting arrows at the mob of huge spiders crawling from the holes in the ceiling. "I'll tell ya wot I've found a gazillion of em. Ya just need'ta know where ta look Stephen!" 

"Ahh look'at mister scavenger over ere'! Nuthin' gets past him!" Stephen casts three magic circles across the ground that explode after a delay, clearing half the skeleton army. "Fockin' prick."

"I hope yer not talkin' to me like that."*CLANG* Wyatt blocks a giant troll's stone from bashing his head in. 

"Wut if I was?" Stepthen raises his staff and emits a bright flash, blinding the troll and pushing it back. 

"Yer gonna end up losing a limb." Wyatt slides across the floor and slashes at the giant troll's ankles, staggering it on the ground before he leaps and slashes its head off. "Ya squeaky lit'l ferret."

*FWOOM*

"Ah who does this turkey turnip gobbler think he is?" Donny blocks a fireball and looks up at the skeleton mage still throwing balls of fire at us. "Up there on his lit'l balconey, the absolute wank." 

*FWSSHH*

A magic arrow gets fired at the skeleton mage before an arrow could hit in the skull.

"AYE WHAT D'YA THINK YER DOIN' STEALING MY KILL?!" Wyatt yells out.

"FOCK' UP YA LIT'L GLASS CABINET RAISING YER VOICE AT ME WHO'YA THINK YOU ARE??" Stephen claps back.

"I need botha'yus to drop yer slimeball attitudes and HELP ME YA FOCK'N TWITS??" Donny is currently blocking a mob of skeletons, huge spiders, stone knight statues, another troll, and a harpy all behind his stone shield.

"Here you go." I raise Astal up high in her book form, then her pages turn and release a bright blue beam, disintegrating everything that was there.

"You lit'l bag of grass why didn't ya just do that from the beginning mate??" Donny looks at me in disbelief.

"Well I was gonna propose it but you guys didn't give a single chance to talk." It's true. I've pretty much just been sitting back and watching them all fight each other more than the actual dungeon monsters. 

"Aye what kind'a girmoire is that lad? Is that somethin' from the Library of Scholars mate?" Stephen leans to get a closer look at Astal.

"The what?"

"Lads I just remembered somethin'." Wyatt speaks up. "I forgot to bring d' key we needed for the door at the end of the dungen'." 

"You bloody melon." Donny palms his face. "This is all because ya took another gazillion years to polish yer axe aint'cha?! HAH?!" 

"WELL I DUN KNO WHAT'TA TELL YA MATE?? YOU DUN TALK TO ME LIKE THAT?? I'll FRIZZLE YER NIZZLE." Wyatt holsters his axes.

"Aye, lets just head back lads." Stephen pulls out a scroll and opens it, then sets it down on the ground before a portal appears. "I need'ta bring more mana potions anyways." He looks over to me. "Are ya comin' lad?"

"Nah. There's still something I need to find. I'm gonna take a look around." 

"And dun forget yer fire grease Wyatt, ya lit'l blackpool deckchair." Donny and Wyatt walk and disappear into the portal.

"Be carful lad, there's plenty more skele'ons deeper in d' frozen catacomb." He waves before disappearing into the portal, leaving me all alone in the middle of the frozen bricked hallway.

"Dysma why didn't you tell me this was a catacomb." 

"Dungeon, catacomb, who cares Nya~ Same thinggg."

"So where is this stone anyways? No way I have to look for it all alone in this cold ass dungeon right?" 

"Hrmm... I guess I can help you out a little Nya~" 

*FwOoOo*

The ring on my middle finger glows bright, obscuring my vision, then revealing a girl.

"Hnnnggg~!!" The girl with long violet hair and a short black princess dress in front of me stretches her arms above her head. "Haah.. I haven't used this form in years.." Her cat tail sways behind her as a black witch hat with a skull on its tip appears on her left hand before she puts it over her head, covering her little cat ears. "You owe me for this, okay?" She pokes my chest. 

"I do?"

"Dysma has always been the greedy little kitty."

"Hmm.."

"Yes? What is it, Astal? Jealous you can't walk alongside your master~?"

"S-shut up."

"You know, it's not that you can't, Astal. You just won't, what is there to be so shy about, hm?"

"I-I said shut up, hag!"

"Oh my."

*FWoOoOoOoOo*

The torches lit in white flames on the walls flicker, then they go out completely.

"H-hey! Who turned out the lights Nyah!?"

"Oh boy." 

"W-what? What are you 'Oh boy-ing' about master?"

The torches re-light in the same blood red flames, painting the frozen bricked hallway in a red hue.

"H-hey!? Let me go!! Don't touch me, S-satan!"

"Your arrogance has been bothering me quite a bit lately, Astal." Lucifer is now standing right in front of me, holding Astal's book form by her thin chain. "I think I'll punish you~"

"Have you always been this tall, Lucy?" Dysma watches Lucifer slowly flip through Astal's pages.

"W-what? No.. s-stop! D-don't.. HYA?!" Lucifer begins to slowly pinch on one of her page's corners.

"Yees~? Is there something you wish to say, Astal? Go on, we're all listening..." She continues to pinch.

"M-master... please.. Hnng.. S-stop her.."

"Hmm?" Lucifer turns her gaze to me, digging her dark pink eyes onto mine. "Well look who it is!" She tosses Astal behind her, landing on Dysma's hands. "I missed you.." She places her right hand on my cheek then gives it a light squeeze, the chain around her neck connected to my right hand clanging as it shifts.

"It hasn't even been two days since I last saw you tho." I watch as she continues to squeeze my cheek with a devious smile like some grandma that hasn't seen her grandkid since the war. 

"Oh don't say that~" She squeezes harder. "Time works differently in limbo.. It's felt like centuries~!"

"There is no time in limbo tho."

"You have good memory, my little devil you~~~" She brings her other hand onto my left cheek and squeezes.

*SMACK!*

Lucifer looks at a young girl in a short, elegant apron dress with long silver hair with pink and blue highlights and a black bow on her head retracting her arm. "Don't touch him like that!" She places her hands on her hips.

"My oh my oh my.." Lucifer rubs the red spot on her hand, before slowly approaching her. "You really went ahead and showed yourself, Astal~" 

"S-stay back!" Astal starts to back away. "D-don't come any closer!"

*CLING*

The chain clangs as Lucifer is stopped after running out of distance, before looking back at me. "Alek, would you be a dear and walk towards Astal, hm~?" 

"Should I?"

"Up to you Nya~ I kinda wanna see what happens.." Dysma watches Astal back away against the frozen brick wall.

"Can we just go look for this damn stone? Like what is even happening here? Someone explain."

"Lucifer is being a DOPEY HAG master. I just want to come over and warm you up!!" Astal places her hands on her hips with an irritated face.

"You won't be getting anywhere near him, Astal." Lucifer pokes my cheek. "Not for as long as I am here~" She smirks at me.

"What! W-why do you always have to be so difficult!?" Astal stomps her short brown laced boots on the ground. 

"Well you're welcome to come and try.. I can't promise I won't eat you up though.." Lucifer smiles wide, her fangs on full display.

"Hrrrrrrng..!!!" Astal balls her fists in frustration.

"Alright this is getting dumb. What is even going on? I'm standing in the middle of a cold dungeon just watching a tall woman threaten a little girl. And a cat girl off to the side just chewing on the corpse of a fish." 

"Nya~ Fish bones are pretty tasty.. chomp chomp wanna try it?" She offers me its spine.

"No."

"I-I am not a little girl!! I'm over 300 years old!!" Astal's face goes red in anger.

"Hm.. very well. Let's proceed to the Philosopher's stone as soon as possible." Lucifer extends her arm around me. "I want to hurry back and try laying Alek's head on my lap~"

"Wait what."

"Don't you dare.." Astal narrows her eyes, still backed against the wall.

"Come now, Astal. Our master here wishes to continue our journey. Let's put our differences aside and enjoy the walk, hm~?"

"Hm.." Astal looks at her, a skeptic look on her face. "And you promise not to lay a hand on me?" 

"Oh, I did say I couldn't promise not to eat you up~..." 

"Master!!"

"Lucifer, no touching."

"Oh fine, fine.." 

"..Hm" Astal slowly approaches me, then stands on my side opposite of Lucifer. *SMACK!* "That includes touching master too!"

"Haah.. Very well." Lucifer rubs on the red spot on her hand, before shooting her a piercing gaze. "That includes you as well."

"Hah?!"

"EVERYONE CHILL." I raise my voice in frustration. I want to find this stone for the shizo asap before I catch a cold from standing in this hallway for the past ten minutes. "LUCIFER. NO TOUCHING ASTAL. ASTAL, NO CALLING LUCY HAG. CAPISCE?" 

"Ohh my~~ Say it again Alek.. call me Lucy again~~"

"SHUT UP." I mixed up my words somehow from hearing Dysma call her that. And the way it rolled off my tongue was the weirdest sensation I can't even describe.

"Ooo~ I like it when you're angry.." The red torches start to flicker again.

"F-fine! But the second we leave, I'm calling her Hag as much as it takes for her to STOP TOUCHING YOU LIKE THAT. *SMACK* " Astal swats Lucifer's hand away from my cheek.

"Sniff Sniff  I can sense it! This way Nyah!" Dysma starts to happily walk down the hallway as I follow, two girls just staring into each other's eyes on both my sides like two puppies about to fight over a bone in an alleyway.

"Just get me out of here already."

"FuFu~ There's snow in your hair~!" 

*SMACK!*

"I said don't touch him like that!"

"Christ."

.

.

.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"And you're sure its behind there?"

"Mhmm.. Sniff Sniff.. It's in there alright.." Dysma throws up a peace sign at me, a prideful smirk on her face.

I look down at the unusually long frozen hallway and onto the large stone door sitting at the end of the hallway, the torches painting the hall in its red hue thanks to Lucifer's presence.

"Hmm.." *Ruffle* *Ruffle*

"Lucifer can you please stop tugging at my hair."

"I.. Sniff.. I smell something else, Nyah.."

"Probably more skeletons."

The pile of bones strewn across the floor start to move across the ground and combine into skeletons, and then more skeletons, and then more and more. "Called it"

And more.

Now there's about two hundred skeletons squeezed together within the hall.

"Why so many?"

"It's a catacomb, master."

"I know that much." Lucifer pulls out my great sword from her chest and hands it to me. "But who even put all these bones here?" I grip onto my sword's hilt, immediately noticing a slight warmth, before I look up at her.

"Wink-☆"

"Anyways... wait how am I even supposed to fight all this with you chained to me?" I look onto the chain emerging from my right hand connected to Lucifer's neck. "You gonna just.. go everywhere I go?" 

The army of skeletons get closer as they walk towards us, rusty swords in hand.

"Well.. you don't have to go to them. Why not try VAPORIZING them from a distance~?" She gives me a vicious smile.

"You're absolutely right." I raise up my sword. "Wait, how do I do that again?"

"Just go PEW! And Nom Nom POW!" Dysma encourages, her mouth stuffed with fish bones.

"Or you could just use me!" Astal looks up at me, smiling bright.

"Booorinng." Lucifer groans. "Listen, Alek." She grabs my shoulder and turns me to face her. "Did you know.. you can collect Sin around you and use it for your yourself?" 

"Sigh.. Use what?"

"Oh my... do forgive me for not telling you sooner. But.." She looks over to the skeletons in the hallway getting closer and closer each second, then looks back at me with an evil grin on her face. "You can collect Sin essence around you, and you can use that to.. power up your little attacks, why not go ahead and try that, hm~?"

"You mean like how I power up my sword with that red energy or whatever?"

"Oh, no no no.. That's just you using your own unholy essence from the souls that the Rune of Death collects." She brings her hand onto my right hand and runs her finger across my skin. "What I mean is.. you can collect the unholy essence of Sin around you to grant you.. Power." 

"You're being too dense, how is that any different from just using my own unholy essence or whatever?" 

"Becauseee, you little devil.." She tugs on the chain emerging from my right hand. "Unholy essence and Sin essence couldn't be any more different from each other." She brings her hand up to my head, giving it a pat. "You'll understand what I mean if you just try it. Now go on~ Try absorbing the Sins of little Dysma and Astal here, hm~?"

"Nyah?" Dysma stops her chomping on fish bones and looks over to us.

"W-what?" Astal looks over at Lucifer touching my head. "B-but I never committed a s-"

"FuFuFuFuHuHuHuHu~~" Lucifer lets out the evilest little giggle I've ever heard from her. "Oh you silly little being.. We are all born sinners. None can escape evil's clutches.."

"If that's the case then shouldn't heaven be weak and Limbo be full to the max right now?"

 "If only." She sighs. "It's true beings are sinners the moment they are granted souls. It's just what happens when you are given a life despite not being deserving of one. However, the moment a soul acknowledges and notices the hideous cathedral that takes up the skies, they are deemed believers. And their souls, cleansed. And that's why I've worked soo hard to destroy it.." She looks over to me. "And yet, I have a feeling I'll get farther with you around, hm~?"

"T-then what makes.. a sinner?" Astal asks with nervous curiosity.

"Hmm... killing for an unjust cause? Being consumed in your own Greed, Lust, or Anger? There is a plethora on what taints a soul with wickedness, Astal~"

"So I'm a sinner then." 

"FuFuFuFu~"  She lets out another small evil little giggle. "You're not just the biggest sinner right now, my host~ You're heaven's greatest transgressor, and they will know true fear when you unleash the power of the Ninth Circle of Hell~" 

"Ok cool. How do I do that?"

"That's still quite a bit far away for you to accomplish right now, my host~" She pats my head again. "Do continue collecting souls, hm~? The Rune of Death hungers..." 

"Wack." I look at the skeleton army getting very closer. "So? How do I gather sin? 

"You just need to absorb the Sins of the two little creatures next to you~"

"Yeah I got that part but HOW."

"Think of it as... sucking out the juice from a cup of apple juice?" 

"What?" 

"Hmm... "

"Is it really that hard to explain?"

"Oh come now, it's as simple as extending your life by inhaling air, just collect the Sin around you, but instead of using your little lungs, use the Rune of Death! Go on~" 

"Well I guess." I raise up my right hand and picture myself sucking out a soda through a straw, but with my right hand instead.

The red torches start to flicker, the air around me gets warmer, and my body starts to feel heavy.

"Oh, and try not to absorb mine.. or else you'll explode~"

"And you waited till now to tell me?

She just winks at me.

"Alright, I'll try again."

"Hey! Get away from my fish bones Nyah!" Dysma starts kicking at a skeleton trying to reach for her.

I raise my hand up again, this time only focusing on Dysma and Astal, then I feel the air around my hand get warmer.

*WoOoOoOom*

My right hand glows a bright red, then it all focuses on my sword and lights it up in a bright red radiance, and the ice around me starts to melt.

"W-whoa..!!" Astal almost loses her balance from the ground starting to shake.

"Nyahahahahaha!" Dysma breaks into a laugh from watching the skeletons stumble onto the floor from the sudden tremor. "M-meaaw!?" She almost falls as well.

The ground stops shaking, the bright radiance on my sword goes faint, and there are now glowing red lines across my sword.

"There you go, you've fused your sword with Sin essence. Now... let's see how big Dysma and Astal's sins are, hm~?" She stands behind me, motioning for Astal and Dysma to follow. "If you two value your lives, you'll get behind our master here." 

Dysma and Astal look at each other, before quickly hurrying behind me.

"Let's give it a whirl." I raise up my sword, causing it to burst into another bright radiance, before I thrust it down.

*FvvvrrrrrEOOOOOOOOOM!*

A giant bright red beam gets shot forward, engulfing every single observable thing within the hallway in a light that blinds me and sends me flying backwards.

*THUNK*

"Oww.." Although the landing was soft thanks to Lucifer being just behind me, the force I felt from getting pushed back was about the same as getting hit in the face by a cold blizzard air after opening your front door on a winter storm. Except the air was hot enough to burn my skin like I was some spaceman a couple fifty million meters from the sun's surface.

"Are you alright, my dear host~?" 

"M-master... s-stop.. touching there.."

"Woopsie! That's me Nyah!"

"The heck?" I open my eyes and find my back pressed against Lucifer's chest, her hands wrapped around me as I feel like I'm laying down on my bed and have two very very soft pillows behind my head.

"Aww getting up so soon? Stay for a while~" She watches me stand up and dust off my hair from the amount of snow that fell onto it from the tremors.

"Pipe down, I want to find that stone and get the hell out of he-....here.." I look ahead of me and see nothing.

There is no hallway.

Just a large black void.

I'm looking at pure nothingness.

"Where are we."

"We're still in the frozen dungeon Nyah~" Dysma stands up, dusting off her witch hat.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes master, look around you.." Astal slowly stands up, rubbing her upper thigh through her apron dress.

I take a look behind me and onto the frozen corridor we came from, then turn back to look at the pitch-black void.

"Look! I can still see the door, Nyah!"  Dysma points towards the large double doors barely noticeable thanks to the darkness around it.

"You caved the entire hallway down, you little devil.." Lucifer nudges my shoulders.

"Cool."

"What? Not 'cool' master! What would have happened if we were outside??" Astal scolds me.

"Then an entire Kingdom would be gone~" Lucifer looks at the darkness over the edge of where we're standing. "Or perhaps a continent..." She looks over to Dysma and Astal. "Quite the Sins you two have gathered, hmm~?" 

"So how are we supposed to get across now?" I look down at the edge and onto the darkness looking back up at me.

"Master I-" 

"I can portal us over there Nyah~"

"Oh sweet. Let's go then." 

"Hrm.." I hear Astal pout.

We walk into the green portal Dysma created and step back out onto the opposite side, then I look over to our previous location over the void. "Damn, that hallway was pretty long, huh?"

"W-whoa whoa Nyah!!" Astal grabs onto Dysma's tail before she could fall forward into the void.

"I-I've.. got you..!! Hrrnggg you're frickin' heavy..!!" 

"HNNG~ N-not.. my tail NyaAahhn~!"

*THUNK*

Astal manges to pull her back, but Dysma falls on top of her. "Haah..Haah..Thank you Nyah.."

"Wait we don't have the key for the do-"

*THUMP*

I watch as the double stone doors fall apart.

"Oh."

"Yes, quite the sins they've gathered.. FuFu~" Lucifer tugs on the chain, motioning me to step into the chamber.

The thought of absorbing Lucifer's Sins makes the hair on the back of my head rise.

.

.

.

[________________________________________]

"Haah.. Who does that idiot think he is making me come all the way out here.."

*NEEIIIGHH*

*SLAP!*

"Hey! Settle down you overgrown rat!"

[________________________________________]